The Toll Men

Recently, I monitored an interesting discussion in one of the forums about the length of headlines on sales pages. Some of the posters were in favor of longer headlines because they communicated more information and had a better chance of catching the interest of the prospect. Other posters claimed that some headlines were so long that they were confusing. Some even claimed that they would take away your breath if you attempted to read them aloud. One poster thought that very long headlines often appeared to be a run-on sentence… even if it technically wasn’t.

I decided it was time to do a study. I wanted to compare headlines on profitable sales pages to headlines on unprofitable ones. I wanted to find out if there really was a difference in the length of their headlines.

To perform that study, I first had to prepare a list of profitable sites and another list of unprofitable sites. I actually already had both due to another study I had recently performed. However, many of the unprofitable sites had disappeared from the Internet. I wasn’t surprised. Why stick around if you can’t make a profit; right?

I had to settle for comparing the headlines of profitable sales pages to the average sales page. I used my list of profitable sites and counted the words and characters in each headline. I skipped any site without a headline. I then looked at sites with ads running on the major search engine for the same product or service. I randomly picked one and also counted the words and characters in it’s headline for the control or average group.

The results were surprising. The average sales page has a headline of only 10 words comprising 55 characters. The profitable sales pages had and average of 14 words and 82 characters in their headlines.

We can conclude that profitable sales pages use longer headlines than the average sales page. That isn’t so surprising.

The other finding was much more surprising. With only a handful of exceptions in thousands of data points, a length longer than 150 characters was very rare. Can we conclude that extremely long headlines aren’t profitable? No; there are other possibilities. However, we can conclude that it is exceptionally rare for profitable sales pages to use headlines longer than 150 characters. In fact, 90% of the data points fell within 131 characters.

That is my new recommendation. I intend to only use headlines that are at least 80 characters long and no longer than 131 characters and I advise the same to my clients.

This places me right in the middle of the correlation group for profitable headlines. Your headline is an important factor to consider when you are optimizing sales. I hope you consider following suit. If so, let me know if this study has improved your results. I look forward to hearing from you.

James D. Brausch is the creator of the Glyphius software. Glyphius copywriting software is guaranteed to increase the profitability of your copywriting using a statistical analysis of profitable ads. For more information, visit: www.Glyphius.com

If you’re selling or plan to sell information over the internet, you realize the importance of good online copy. It’s so easy to click away, we need to engage our reader’s attention fast, and hold on to it.

I once read an ebook that advised writing your sales page before developing your product, because it was so important. That seems a bit extreme to me, but the truth is that many service professionals develop great, useful, even life-changing products, but then can’t sell them because they don’t know how to write good sales copy.

This article outlines a clear formula for writing a solid sales letter. Where appropriate, I’ve inserted some attributed examples. I don’t address the merits of long vs. short copythey can both work, but let’s face it, few non-copywriters have the skill or patience to write 10 page sales letters, and I don’t know many people who like to read them on their screen.

POWERFUL HEADLINE

Your headline has to immediately engage your reader. It needs problem, promise, and passion in 25 words or less.

Who else wants to defy all normal, common, ordinary, customary boundaries and restrictions on making money on the speed, the ease, and the independence? - Dan Kennedy’s Renegade Millionaire Course

TESTIMONIALS THROUGHOUT

Nothing convinces as well as other people’s word. You want these to be specific and give actual results when possible”I added 12 new clients after using this system!” If you want to get testimonials, give away your product to a few trustworthy individuals in exchange for an honest appraisal.

DISCUSS A PROBLEM OR USE A STORY

Customers and clients want to know that you understand their problem and pain, and can solve it. Your headline will touch on the problem, here you elaborate. Stories hold attention.

HOT BENEFITS WITH BULLETS

Features are the tangibles: Why would your market care that you have ten years experience? Benefits are the emotional angles: Your experience makes me feel you’re competent and will be able to help me. To get to benefits, take each features of your products and keep asking “Why?” - Ultimately, you’ll get to the emotional response you’re really selling. People buy on emotions and justify with reasons.

Bullets can create a quick emotional response, and are one of the first parts read in a sales letter. This is a great place to address possible objections or doubts your reader might have. Come up with 10-15 bullets:

• What background materials you need before you begin to write (or else you’re simply wasting your time);

• My secret to turning phrases into benefit-driven statements that attract attention (we all buy based on how we believe a product will make us FEEL);

• Why you don’t need to be a writer to write great headlines

–From Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero’s sales letter for her Speed Copywriting Workshop

ADD BONUSES

“But Wait…There’s More!” You’ve presented a great offer, intrigued your reader, and now you add the icing on the cake. If there was hesitation to buy, these bonuses can be the decisive factor. You can develop your own bonuses, or exchange bonus products with other infoguru’s. You give away mine, I’ll give away yours (with attribution).

PLEDGE

As great as your product may be, you still need to overcome objections. A clear, solid, money-back guarantee can tip the scales.

ASK FOR A CLEAR ACTION

If people don’t know what to do they won’t do it. Don’t make your reader guess the next step.

POWER PS

The PS is said to be one of the items most read in a letter, so add a PS that reiterates a benefit or urgency to buying NOW.

CONCLUSION

If you find you really love this stuff, one of the best ways to become a good copywriter is to steal a technique from 19th century language educationfind good sales letters and copy them by hand, word for word, over and over. This is also a great way to memorize Homer. And as always, if you need further resources, please email me.

Stacey Morris is a Website Coach that helps service professionals develop websites that increase visibility, enhance crediblity, and make money!
To download a free Website Success Checklist, visit
http://www.ServiceBusinessCoaching.com

Do you remember the first time you got on the internet to
start marketing?

Do you remember all the problems
you had as a newbie?

Well, every newbie also have the same experience.

By helping others you can help yourself too.

Below are 8 internet marketing online secrets to help
newbies succeed , and so help yourself.

1. You will feel good knowing that you had a part in
helping them build their business. You can sit back
and say “I had a part in their success.”

2. They may become one of your best friends. Most
people can use new friends, even business owners.
You may even become business partners and create
a totally new business together.

3. You could end up being strategic business allies
in the future. You could regularly do joint venture
and cross promotion deals with each other.

4. They may help you out with your business. Maybe
they will give you some testimonials or endorsements
for your products or services.

5. You might gain some valuable referrals from them.
They may also join your affiliate program and make
sales for your business.

6. They might offer you some free advertising space
on their web site or in their e-zine for your help. You
could also exchange advertising with them.

7. You both could end up developing a new product
or service together. The product or service could be
a combination of your current ones.

8. They might purchase the products you sell and
become one of your best customers. You could sell
them many back end products or services in the
future.

May these internet marketing online secrets help
you to make a lot of money.

Warmly,

I-key Benney, CEO

I-key, a Millionaire CEO from New York City is the creator of “Mscsrrr: Millionaire Secret Cash System”,(investing online) program, which has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to attain financial security and shining success during the past 2 yrs.

Mscsrrr Millionaire Cash System helps you to generate $1,500+/Week for life, from home or office, part time or full time. No large investment or hassles. Win $1000-$2000 free “cash”.

Having a strong foundation enables you to build a thriving,
profitable life and business. A simple method to create this
foundation is with Discovery, Vision, Planning and
Benchmarking, the four cornerstones of your life as well
as your business.

Discovery is defined as examining where are you now and
where are you going. It helps to look at everything as if
you were a beginner. Always know why you are in the
business of your choice. If your strategy is not clear,
you won’t recognize the destination when you get there.
This is the time to bring in your outside Vision Team.

Vision is who you are about and what your life is about.
This is where you determine values you need to experience
on a continuing basis. Vision is also where you become the
expert in your field and decide the purpose of your
business. Remember, the smaller the niche, the larger the
reward. Abandon any preconceived beliefs you have about
this or any other business. They can restrict your
thinking. Live out of this new vision, not your past
comfort.

Planning creates the strategies that help you arrive at
your destination. A simple system is to - Show Up, Be on
Time, Keep Your Word and Tell The Truth. It’s like
riding on that train, sometimes there are hills to climb;
sometimes there are curves and other times you’re flying
rapidly down the mountain to your destination. In any
instance, you must remain focused on what you want
and where you are going.

Benchmarking helps you stay on track. Once focused, you
set up a system for accountability, self-management and
self-renewal. You can create outcomes or optimum wants
that
may be on the outer edge of possibilities or a result that
is far bigger than you think is attainable. Going into new
territory can unlock your potential and increase your
development. When outcomes or optimum results are
achieved, you can acknowledge success and learn to be
satisfied. Again, put it in writing; the outcomes, the results
and the acknowledgement.

Rules require exceptions, so even if you follow the above
and create a strong foundation, you must be prepared for
chaos.
Chaos can aid in your personal and business development
if you have eliminated all toxic people or commitments
from your life.

Chaos can then become the opportunity to progress rapidly
into new territory. You can be the architect of your own life.

With a strong foundation, you can build anything.

~.~.~.~

Joanne Victoria works with small business owners who
want to achieve more and still be true to who they really are.
Sign up now for her FREE monthly e-zine
Create the Business of your Dreams
at: mailto:CreateYourBusiness-subscribe@topica.com

Joanne Victoria Tel: 415-491-1344
mailto:joanne@joannevictoria.com
Author of : Lighting Your Path!
How To Create the Life You Want - Order Here!
http://www.joannevictoria.com
~.~.~.~.

Article Title: Create A Blueprint For Your Success
Author Name: Joanne Victoria
Contact E-mail Address: mailto:joanne@joannevictoria.com
Word Count: 487, wrapped at 60 characters
Category: Business Development
Copyright Date: 2003-All Rights Reserved

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Thank you for publishing this article in its entirety
including the resource box. Please notify me of publication
by sending either a website link or a copy of your ezine
upon publication to: mailto:joanne@joannevictoria.com .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joanne Victoria, CEO of New Directions in Sausalito, CA,
works with small business owners who want to achieve
more focus, more balance, more fun and more abundance
and still be true to who they really are. Check her website at:
http://www.JoanneVictoria.com for more articles and
programs. Tel: 415-491-1344.